More protection in the event of war
Association of cities demands billions for bunkers and sirens
March 9, 2024, 3:13 a.m
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The Bundeswehr is currently being upgraded, particularly thanks to the special funds set up by the federal government. Now the Association of Cities and Municipalities is also calling for billions in investments. The aim is to prepare the communities for a possible war.
The Association of Cities and Municipalities is demanding billions in federal investments to prepare municipalities for a possible war. “Security can no longer be taken for granted,” said managing director André Berghegger to the newspapers of the Funke media group. “Now it’s not just about making the Bundeswehr capable of defending itself. It’s more generally about protecting the population from war-related dangers.”
Strengthening resilience is a joint task for the federal, state and local governments, Berghegger continued. In addition to the special fund of 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr, the federal government must “raise large sums of money to ensure internal resilience,” said Berhegger. “We need at least one billion euros in each of the next ten years to protect the civilian population,” Berghegger continued to tell the Funke newspapers. But this is just an impetus and the task has not yet been completed. The funds should come from the regular federal budget.
Only 600 public shelters left
Specifically, the general manager of the Association of Cities and Municipalities called for more bunkers in Germany. Of the 2,000 public shelters from the Cold War, only 600 remain that can accommodate around 500,000 people.
“There is an urgent need to bring disused bunkers back into use,” he said. In addition, new, modern shelters would have to be built. Berghegger is also pushing for additional sirens to be installed. “We would do well not to rely solely on cell phone apps,” he said. “There can no longer be a community without sirens.”